The Oglala-Lakota Tribe Embraces New Technology for Public Safety

(August 20, 2014)

Pine Ridge, SD (PRWEB) August 20, 2014

Imagine the challenges that public safety and tribal law enforcement officials face when policing 3,200,000 acres in South Dakota with limited cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. The number of tribal residents and tourists may reach up to 75,000, especially during a Pow-Wow.

The tribe has just built a new state-of-the-art public safety campus near Pine Ridge, South Dakota. Police Chief Ron Duke is in charge of the Public Safety Department for 911 dispatch, records, and all community safety initiatives. One of the issues Chief Duke faced was the limited information flow between dispatch, mobile, records, jail, and the tribal court. An inmate might have been released from the jail, but that critical information may not have been accessible to dispatch or the patrol officers, a definite problem for officer and community safety.

In May, the tribe issued an RFP soliciting bids for new public safety solutions. There were several bidders, but the Public Safety Selection Team made the decision to implement Global Software for CAD, records, jail management, and mobile applications. The primary reason for the decision was that Global was able to demonstrate the automated flow of information as well as the utilization of tablets for mobile applications.

Android, iPad, and Windows tablets are emerging as powerful tools for law enforcement. They are more affordable than patrol car mounted laptops and gives the first responders the ability to take them to an incident to take photos or video. For rural areas that have no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, the tablets can operate offline and then sync the information when a signal is present. Thomas White Eyes, Oglalas IT Director, states, We are implementing thirty Nexus Android tablets for our patrol officers and jail operations. This technology gives our first responders and command staff more timely information and improves our response time. The officers can spend more time patrolling the reservation versus filling out manual reports.

Jeff Pugh, the Executive Vice President of Global, sees this as a tremendous tool for Native American Tribes. Jeff states, There is a huge benefit in using an SQL database across a fully integrated suite of applications with automated workflow. Many systems on the market today require dispatchers and first responders to enter the same information multiple times, a waste of manpower and financial resources. With Globals fully integrated suite of software, users have all of the information available to them at every step of the process eliminating redundant data entry and ensuring they have all the critical information they need to provide the highest level of service and safety to their communities. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requires monthly crime statistic reports and Globals system provides accurate incident data and helps to automate the reporting processes.

ABOUT HARRIS COMPUTERHarris is a leading provider of financial management and Customer Information Systems (CIS) software solutions. Since 1976, Harris has focused on providing feature-rich and robust turnkey solutions to public sector, schools, utility, and healthcare agencies throughout North America. Harris focus is on creating long-term relationships with its customers and ensuring that it meets the changing needs of its customers over time.